It's spring, aint it?

Two days ago, when I arrived in Lige, the sun was shining, it was really warm and I sat around in the courtyard getting a bit of a tan on my face and contemplating shaving my armpits so I can wear a short sleeved top.

Yesterday, was cool and overcast. Barely saw the sun. Spent most of the day hovering over the fire, but saw no need for thermals or extra sleeping bag.

This morning I woke to white roofs and swirling snow. It is still snowing heavily and the whole lake sky and ground is coloured white to gray. (Gray being the lake). There is a thick layer of snow on the roofs of all the cars. I'm back in full thermals, scarf, jacket and gloves- and feeling cold. It's very pretty but I'm sure you all know by now I'm not really a cold weather person.

Yesterday afternoon two men wandered into the cafe at our guesthouse for a cuppa. One philipino and one dutch. The Dutch guy has been living in Lijiang for the last year with his Naxi (local Lijiang minority group) wife. After tea they took me for a drive out to a village where he had visited previously. He thought there would be Mosuo dancing there, but there wasn't. He was telling me all about how he used to be a bit wild, but now he'd married and become a christian. In the car he had all this slightly country western gospel music playing (like the American pentecostal stuff) which seemed a little odd to me out here in South West China. He hasn't been working here yet, but he talks about being a tour guide or opening a pizza restaurant or something in future when his Chinese improves. He showed me his Chinese drivers licence which he was very proud of. (International driver's licences are not valid in China).

Oddly enough, in the section supposed to list nationality, his nationality is given as Chinese even though he is only on a tourist visa. Apparently there were no other options available in the computer. He was not allowed to purchase registration plates for his car on a tourist visa (though he was able to purchase a car and a house). They said he would need to go back to Holland and then come back on a different visa to change the visa type. He told the police that he probably wouldn't go back to Holland for several months so the police suggested he drive around without any rego until then. That's China for you.